American and Delta Fined by FAA for Tarmac Delays

Delta Air Lines have received hefty fines from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said that it fined American $1 million and Delta $750,000 for violating federal rules that prohibit lengthy tarmac delays, according to a report in Reuters.

Regulations say that passengers must be given the opportunity to deplane from domestic flights after three hours on the tarmac. On international flights, passengers must be given the opportunity to exit the aircraft after four hours. Both airlines were found to have violated these guidelines.

American Airlines was credited $450,000 of the $1 million it owed for compensating its passengers. Delta received a similar credit of $450,000 for both compensating passengers and setting up a backup data center and automated aircraft-parking guidance and jet-bridge positioning system, according to the FAA.

Delta reiterated its apology for the passenger delays, which occurred in 2017 and 2018.

“Delta has spent millions to invest in new technologies to increase efficiency of aircraft movement during irregular operations and additional deicing capacity at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport hub,” the company told Reuters.

American also took responsibility for the delays and said it takes the rules seriously and also noted that they stemmed from “exceptional weather events dating as far back as 2015.”

American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said that the airline told Reuters that it has “put procedures in place to help better accommodate our customers when inclement weather occurs.”

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